GAO Warns SpaceX, Boeing Delays Could Imperil NASA’s Access to ISS

17 February 2017
The Washington Post “The Switch” blog reports that on Thursday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned that SpaceX and Boeing, the companies hired by NASA to build spacecraft for manned missions to the ISS, could encounter further delays in their vehicles’ development that would leave NASA without access to the space station unless the agency makes contingency plans. NASA has purchased seats for astronauts from Russia through 2018, and since the seats usually must be procured three years in advance “to avoid a potential crew transportation gap in 2019, the contracting process would have needed to start in early 2016.” Without alternative plans, NASA “risks not being able to maximize the return on its multibillion dollar investment in the space station.” (Image Credit: NASA) More Info (Washington Post)